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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Do your teenagers work part time?

40 replies

thinneratforty · 10/04/2012 20:21

Sorry, thread following on from another thread. But do your teenagers work part time if they're studying as well? What work do they do and was it their idea to work or did you encourage them?

OP posts:

GetOrfMoiiLand · 10/04/2012 20:24

My dd has just got a job in Macdonalds - she went last week for her first shift, and they sent her away again. They have a rule that they do not employ 16 year olds until they have finished all their exams.

So she has to call them again in June and arrange her shifts (she has completed her induction and all, and to her rapture have given her an employee discount card.

She for the last few months has been washing big pots in a restaurant kitchen. She has applied for jobs left right and centre, it is hard going to get PT jobs at the moment.

GetOrfMoiiLand · 10/04/2012 20:25

Oh, and it was all her idea to work. I would much rather she didn't bother until she is 18 in some ways, but then again a good work ethic is pleasing.

skirt · 10/04/2012 20:28

Yes she's worked since she was 14 and now is in Halls at Uni and transferred to her study city with the same retail company. Kids should work, it's not just about money, it teaches independence, budgeting, teamwork and so much more.

brightermornings · 10/04/2012 20:28

My ds 17 has just started his first part time job. He's working at the same company I work for in the canteen for 6 hours on a Sunday. I helped him get the job as in I saw the advert and helped him with his application form. He's applied for loads of part time jobs.

EmilyPollifaxInnocentTourist · 10/04/2012 20:29

Mine has been working part-time for a few months now. I think it's an important step in growing up.

GnomeDePlume · 10/04/2012 22:19

Very few opportunities where we are unless you have a car (public transport virtually non-existent)

Instead we are employing DD ourselves as part-time housekeeper during school holidays. This is in addition to normal chores. Works for us as DD is naturally neat and DH and I work full time.

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 11/04/2012 18:31

yes.. Mine all have had p/t jobs from 16..tho it took a few months and a LOT of applications to find them. The vast majority of my children's friends had jobs too..and have all managed to combine them with A level studies ok... (I wouldn't let mine look for jobs until after the GCSE exams)

I think it's actually quite important for them to have the experience..helps develop a work ethic, money awareness and time management..and it is also useful for UCAS (university) applications as it helps demonstrate a lot of skills.

Mine have worked at McDonalds, Dominos Pizza, Fatface (DD2 there currently... FAB discount!) local Garden centre... MacD tend to be quite demanding in wanting the kids to work a lot of ours but the others have been fab..just a few hours at weekends.

gelatinous · 11/04/2012 23:50

Mine do. I think as long as they don't do too many hours so that it has a negative impact on their work that it's a really good idea. They have both wanted to (I don't give them much pocket money, so it's almost necessary) - it helps them realise money doesn't grow on trees and gives them a lot of independence. The main one they do is lifeguarding, but have done theatre ushering and tutoring too. Dd will try au-pairing this summer.

3boys1cat · 12/04/2012 14:06

DS1 (just 17) has been working part time as a lifeguard since October. I agree with many of the previous posters that having a job, with all the responsibilities that entails, is a very important part of growing up.

cardibach · 12/04/2012 14:32

We live in a tourist area - mine works in a beach shop during the summer holidays and some weekends before. Has done since she was 13. It's really good as it teaches all the work ethic, teamwork, independence stuff wihtout interferring with studies. She loves having her own money, too.

Fairyliz · 12/04/2012 14:46

Yes. My daughter started looking as soon as she turned 16. It took about a year but she finally got a job 10 hours a week in a high street fashion chain. She not that keen on it but loves the money. It makes her realise that he needs to work hard at her A levels if she doesn't want do this for the rest of her life.

bruffin · 12/04/2012 17:22

DS was 16 last September, he did a weeks work in the easter holidays before that at the company DH used to work at.
He then got a job from October to New Year at Comet working on the Sales floor which was initially saturdays but turned out every day of christmas holidays.
Last October we paid for him to do a NPLQ life saving course so he qualified as a life guard. He started working at the local leisure centre in January and does casual work. He got a lot of training to start with but now only works if he is needed and one of the permanant people can't make a shift. He only really needs to do 2 shifts a month plus 2 hours training to get a reasonable amount money.

BackforGood · 12/04/2012 18:51

ds (15, Yr11) has a once a week paper round.
He's just applying for a job his friend does where they work in hospitality, but the company keep a list and send out a text to say "We need x people for this night / day" and you text back if you can work. Will suit him down to the ground if he gets it, as a regular job would mean he'd not be able to fit in all he does with the Scouts (away weekends, etc). Fingers crossed.

I think it's a really good thing. He loves having money to spend, and I hope it teaches him a bit more about budgeting than just pocket money would. Also things like timekeeping, committment, respect and manners to employers and customers, the fact that a lot of 'work' is boring and not exactly 'fun' but it's how you earn the money, etc., etc.

WMDinthekitchen · 12/04/2012 19:09

DD is 17 and in her last year at school, so exams coming up in May. She works 10 hours a week in a restaurant. It's a chain, so hopefully she will transfer to another branch when she leaves home for university in the autumn. She already has the passes she needs but I am being firm about revision and want her to get good grades in the subjects she still has to take. She found the job after my "homilies" about hard work and with her own desire to buy yet more clothes!

bruffin · 12/04/2012 19:40

That's how Ds,s job works Backforgood. It works very well for him, he could've done 2 shifts over the weekend but was away doing DofE.

judithann · 15/04/2012 14:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

mumblechum1 · 16/04/2012 05:47

DS is in the territorial Army. He does 4 evenings a week and one or two weekends a month, earns about £150 whilst training then gets an annual bounty of between £450 and £1k.

He loves it

mumblechum1 · 16/04/2012 05:48

Sorry, 1 evening a week - 4 would be pushing it!

BackforGood · 16/04/2012 12:24

How old is he Mumblechum ? I didn't realise they got paid (except when on active duty) - I thought the TA were volunteers and did stuff much like Air Cadets or older Scouts.

OneHandFlapping · 16/04/2012 12:28

DS1 works in a cafe as a waiter one day a weekend. He enjoys it, and it has given him a better sense of how hard money is to earn, and how easy to spend.

FrankWippery · 16/04/2012 12:33

DD1 (18) works in a pub/restaurant and has done for the past couple of years. She's doing her A levels this year and is fitting in shifts as and when.

DD2 (17) has been working in a restaurant, waitressing mostly, for the past 6 months or thereabouts. She's doing AS levels this year and is also fitting in shifts around her revision, school and exams. She's also landed herself a seriously well paid 3 week stint during the Olympics working with one of the corporate catering companies at Olympic Park. Jammy cow

DS is 15. He plays too much sport to be able to fit in a job at the moment, but he's going to be doing some bits and bobs over the summer holidays.

If today carries on like it has started then DD3 will be sent up chimneys or down the bloody mine. She is 3, so can get into all the small places the other chaps can't reach. Frankly, I will not be expecting her to be paid. The quiet will be priceless.

BackforGood · 16/04/2012 12:42

badgerhead · 16/04/2012 13:57

DD1 is 18 and has been working in a soft play centre for nearly 2 years. She does 10 hours over a weekend but the shifts can & do vary a bit over the weekend. She has been up front with her employers about starting uni in sept, having had time off for uni visits etc. over the last year. She has negotiated two weekends off in June immediately before two tranches of A level exams and will work extra hours during the summer to make that time up and also give her extra money for uni. She has arranged to go to a zero hour contract in September & then let them know when she is back from uni so she can do hours then.
This last weekend she did longer hours as they had 4 staff call in sick (hungover she says) and the owner rang her yesterday morning asking her to stay longer than scheduled if possible so she did an extra 1.5 hours & also managed to do some revision with the owners permission when it was quiet on the reception desk. :)

badgerhead · 16/04/2012 14:00

Oh and dd2 (15 this week) volunteers at a local charity working with disabled children on a Saturday morning about once a month. She has done this for the last year and really enjoys it. Although not paid she knows that it is all a good experience which will look good on future cv's, especially as she wants to work with children.

bruffin · 16/04/2012 16:22

DD 14 has volunteered at a SN club as well. She has been doing it since she was 12, about 2 to 3 times a month plus days in the school holiday.
They do employ some of the volunteers once they get to 18 and have just started a documented award scheme. One of Dd's older friend there has just been offered some work as companian to a teenager with Down Syndrome on a saturday.

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